Oldtimey

[JoeRudi26]

How's that season going? Did you get to finish? I need details.

[oldtimey]

Hey, Joe I was just thinking about sending you an update when I logged in. I will give you the American League portion, and if you want the National League, let me know and I will post that as well.

Sorry to tell you, but the A's didn't make it. They went through a slump where the couldn't hit or pitch, while Texas got hot and stayed hot. Oakland went into the final series of the year having to run the table in a four game series in Seattle while the Angels had to lose all three games to Texas in their last series. LAA obliged by laying down in Arlington, but Oakland couldn't beat Beavan in Game 1 in Seattle. So the A's eliminate themselves from playoff consideration, while LAA backs into the second Wildcard. While on the other coast, Boston and New York have worked themselves into a tie and have to go to game 163 to decide the AL East Champion in Yankee Stadium. Old postseason warhorse Pettite gets the start for the Yankees, whlle Buchholz gets the ball for the Carmines. Pettite was pitching on short rest, but gave the Bombers all he had, going 5+ IP and allowing 4 runs. Buchholz, on the other hand, went 8 for the Bosox, and allowed just 2 runs, Boston then decided to rub it in by scoring 5 runs in the last two innings to make the final score of game 163 9-2, Red Sox. The Boston Red Sox are the AL East Champion, while the New York Yankess prepare to host the AL Wildcard Game against the Los Angeles Angels. With the Yankees sending out Sabathia (15-6, league-leading 2.67 ERA) to the mound against a flat and road-weary Angels team, I thought this game was decided before the first pitch. But as we know, baseball is not played on paper. The Angels Wilson (14-6, 3.92) gave up only solo shots to Teixeira in the 7th and Jeter in the 8th, while his teamates chased C.C. after five with the score 4-0. Then, amazingly, for the second straight game, the NYY relief corps took the mound armed with kerosene to fight the fire, as the final score was Angels 13, Yankees 2. The Angels not only woke up, but got hot. Really hot. They now go to Comerica to face the AL Central Champion Detroit Tigers in tthe ALDS, who own the best record in the MLB. The Tigers boast the most-likely AL MVP in Miguel Cabrera, who blasted 53 HR while driving in 151, batting .304. Following him in the order was Prince Fielder (41 HR, 120 RBI, .300 AVG) The ace of the pitching staff, Justin Verlander finished 20-3, with an ERA of 2.79.

But all of a sudden, nobody could get Trout (AL batting champ with .313 AVG, 32 HR, 99 RBI and 30 SB) or Pujols (.295, 36, 115) out. And in Game I of the ALDS, the Angles send out Tommy Hanson (15-10, 3.90) against Verlander, and Hanson ONE-HITS the Tigers, going all the way! Game 2 had Fister (15-8, 3.99) going eight strong and the Tigers beat Vargas (11-11,4.24), 5-1. The series shifts to a now-crazed Angels Stadium in Anaheim, where Game 3 featured the Angels leader in Wins, Joe Blanton (16-6, 4.30--go figure) versus Detroit's Anibal Sanchez (12-6, 4.33), Neither pitcher figured in the decision, as the Angels broke a 5-5 tie with 3 runs in the 8th and one in the ninth for a final score of LAA 9 Det 5. Trout drove in 4 runs in the game with a single, double and home run. Cabrera did hit one for the Tigers, along with Avila. This game also featured an ninth inning pitched by Jered Weaver, whose cold September exploded his ERA to 4.77 and made him the odd man out of the rotation even though he was the Angels' Opening Day starter. So the Angels are now one game away from advancing to the ALCS, with no desire to return to Detroit. This is amazing to me because the Tigers clearly dominated the AL Central, winning by 18.0 games over second-place Cleveland. And the only reason the Angels are even in the playoffs is because Oakland played worse than they did down the stretch.

For Game 4, with the Angels ahead 2-1. Mgr. Scioscia goes for the juggular and sends C,J, Wilson to the mound. Wilson beat the Yankees in the Wildcard Game in his last start. Mgr. Leyland gives the ball to Max Scherzer (13-11, 3.92). Scherzer could not finish 5 IP, as he gave up an RBI double to Trumbo in the second and a three-run home-run to Pujols in the third to fall behind 4-0. Then, solo shots by Trumbo and Hamilton add on as Wilson goes eight strong again, allowing 1 run as the Angels eliminate the Tigers 6-1. They will now travel to Fenway Park to play the Boston Red Sox, who pounded the Texas Rangers senseless to advance. That series starts tomorrow night.

Joe, when I grow up I would love to post graphics to help liven up my league updates. Right now, I am just happy to have tne time to play the games and follow the forums. I do both late at night to early morning when the house is asleep. Hope you enjoy this. I am having a ball!

[JoeRudi26]

Love it! I do enjoy hearing about other people's seasons and how they are going. Sounds as if the Angels are just as tough in your season as they are mine. They finished 3 games ahead of me (Oakland) and took the West, although I made it in as a Wild Card.

Great write up, BTW. Sounds like you're having a blast. Keep us updated!

[oldtimey]

Here is how the National League played out. They, too, needed a tiebreaker game to decide the second Wildcard. Los Angeles had the best record in the NL, led by Kenley Janssen breaking the single-season save record with 64. Atlanta won the East behind the one-two punch (they batted 1st and second in the batting order)of B.J. Upton (30 HR, 36 SB)and Jason Heyward (tied for the NL lead in HR with 36). St. Louis won the Central, as Pittsburgh faded to .500 down the stretch and got involved in a crazy mix of mediocrity with Milwaukee, Arizona, Philadelphia, and, yes. even the Cubs, for the second Wildcard. Entering the final week, Chicago needed to run the table (win all six of their games) and still get help to have a chance when the dust settled. Hope grew on the Northside of Chicago when they swept the firsr series to remain alive going into the fianl weekend. But they lost the Friday afternoon opener, beginning their hibernation yet again without postseason play. Out of the muck and the mire emerged the Phillies and the Diamondbacks to play a tiebreaker for the second wildcard, the winner to play the San Franciosco Giants, led by NL Batting Champ Buster Posey (.340). Arizona beat the Phillies in the tiebreaker, then lost to SF in the NL Wildcard Game. St. Louis swept Atlanta 3 straight, while the Dodgers beat their arch-rival, the Giants, in 4, with rubber-armed Janssen saving 3. So the NLCS will pit the Los Angeles Dodgers versus the St. Louis Cardinals, just like in real life.

I don't have as many details for the NL because the games were simulated. My attention to the AL was won on the merits of Detroit having baseball's best record. As now the field is four, I will see more NL games, but the story is the Cinderella Los Angeles Angels. Stay tuned.

[oldtimey]

Cinderella is dancing at the Ball!

After spliting the first two games at Fenway, the Angels took the series lead with a surprising performance by Joe Blanton, who I thought had come back to earth (8.44 postseason ERA), and who Mgr. Scoscia contemplated starting a resurgent Weaver (0.00 in 2 postseason relief appearances) in his place. It looked at the outset that Scioscia should have followed his first mind, as he had Weaver warming up while Boston jumped on Blanton early for a 2-0 lead. But he settled down and the Angels' bats went to work on Buchholz and scored five unanswered runs to knock him out in the fifth, courtesy of Ianetta's three-run bases-clearing double over Ellsbury's head to take the lead in the second, an RBI single by Trumbo in the third and Trumbo's 2-run bomb over the bullpen in left-center in the seventh off of a suddenly ineffective Daniel Bard (postseason ERA over 12.00) and they took a 7-2 lead. Blanton went to the mound for the seventh and showed signs of fatigue as he struggled to get two outs. But Frieri came on to get Pedroia to pop out to 3B Callaspo to end the threat. Boston Mgr. Farrell finally found someone who can string a few outs together in Andrew Bailey, as he holds the Angels in the seventh to set up a possible late-inning comeback for the Carmines. Trailing 7-2, the Bosox send up Big Papi to lead off the eighth. Ortiz goes the other way and hits a smash past the dive of Callaspo, the third baseman who is swung over into the shortstop position, as the Angels overshifted for the Red Sox cleanup man. Frieri then hangs a slider about neck high to Napoli and turns around not only the baseball, but a terrible day (K, 2 GIDPs), as he hits it out of Orange County to bring the Red Sox to within 3. Scioscia yanks the young fireballer for the veteran lefty Sean Burnett, and he quickly restores order by retiring the next 3 men to end the top of the eighth. Farrell sends Bailey back out to the mound with a prayer (Boston's team ERA coming into this game was 4.83--they don't hit, they don't win). They were answered, as Bailey pitched around his own error on a comebacker to send the Red Sox to the top of the ninth, still trailing by 3. Certainly doable for a team hitting .300 for the postseason. Scioscia sends in his closer, Ryan Madson, to try to save his second game of the postseason. Ninth-place hitter Drew leads off and grounds out to 2B Kendrick. Top of the order now, Ellsbury at bat, lookling to start a rally to bail out an iffy pirching staff once again. Ellsbury looks down and in and finds Christmas in October, as he hits a laser into the right-center field bleachers to make the score 7-5. Scott Downs gets up in the bullpen for a potential confrontation with Big Papi with the game on the line. But not to worry. A somewhat-irked Madson spends a little mad money and strikes out Victorino and Pedroia, both swingingl. Game over. Angels win 7-5 and lead the series 2 games to 1. I really like their chances to advance. Tonight they have C. J. Wilson going and each of his starts has sent them moving on. And Scioscia plans to replace Jason Vargas with Jared Weaver for Game 5. Weaver has pitched much better in relief than his last 4 starts of the regular season, while Vargas took the loss in the only game they dropped against Detroit in the ALDS. You have to trust the power sinker/slider stuff of Weaver over the soft-tossing of Vargas against a team like the Red Sox. Speaking of the Red Sox, their pitchers for Game 4 and 5 are lefty Franklin Morales, (sometimes great, sometimes horrible) and 20-game winner John Lackey, who did not get through the 5th inning in Game I. Jake Peavy may get the Game 5 start in place of Lackey. Again, I like the Angels chances.

Meanwhile in the National League, The Los Angeles Dodgers have taken a 2 games to 0 lead in the NLCS, as the scene shifts to Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Greinke (8 scoreless innings, 10 K, 2 BB) outgunned Wainwright and Jansen held on, as he pitched an uncharacteristic shaky ninth to win Game Two 3-2 and to get everyone thinking F-r-e-e-w-a-y S-e-r-i-e-s (shhh). Stay tuned.

Edited October 16, 2013 by oldtimey

[oldtimey]

Just to update, in case anybody is still interested.

Cinderella's Ride is Squashed

After upsetting the best-in the-AL Detroit Tigers in the ALDS, the red-hot Los Angeles Angels cooled off and allowed the Boston Red Sox some daylight. The Angels slugging stars against the Tigers (Trout and Pujols) stopped hitting, the defense (particularly Aybar at SS) became unsteady, and the bullpen lost its mojo, as the ALDS returned to the Fens with the Carmines still trailing 3 games to 2. Mgr Scioscia wanted to start Weaver in Game 6, but he was needed in relief in Game 4 and got blasted as the Red Sox came back to win that game to tie the series. So, the Game 6 ball was given to Jason Vargas, who as I thought, did not project to have the stuff to deal with a patient, slugging team like the Red Sox. He was lit up, while Boston starter Jon Lester was good enough to help the Bosox win 12-6. It wasn't all Vargas' fault, though. Aybar fumbled one double play grounder in one inning, then in the next one, he flipped the ball wildly past Kendrick in another double play situation for a two-base error, virtually giving the lead and the game to the Red Sox. All of a sudden, the Angels' World Series dreams turned into a nightmare of desparation. Game Seven's pitching matchup is Joe Blanton (the Halos' regular season wins leader with 16) versus Clay Buchholz (10-11, 3.74 regular season, but one start good, one bad in the postseason). Blanton had a win in one of his two postseason starts. The Angels rode two-run home runs by Albert Pujols (to the bleachers in center),and Chris Ianetta (into the Monster seats in leftcenter) to a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the second. Boston responded in the bottom half with a leadoff double by Middlebrooks, and RBI single by Saltalamacchia, and after the Angels finally turn a DP, a solo homerun to left by Ellsbury. After two: Angels 4 Red Sox 2. Top of the third; Trout draws a leadoff walk, then Pujols delivers again, going to rightcenter for an RBI double, to make it 5-2, Angels. I expect Farrell to come out and take the ball from Buchholz, but he lieaves him in to fan Hamilton (his 4th K in 2.1 IP), and retire Trumbo and Wells on groundouts. Into the bottom of the third. A leadoff single by Victorino, and a one-out, two-run homerun by Napoli onto Landsdowne Street make it a one-run game, 5-4. Buchholz goes back out to the mound shuts down the Halos in the 4th and 5th innings.

Now comes one of the many things that makes the MLB the Show 13 such a great baseball experince. CPU Mgr Farrell, in an example of "situational seasonal" managing opts to reliieve his starter with his usual eighth innining setup guy, Aceves, with his team trailing 5-4 in the top of the sixth. He retired the side on a couple of groundouts and a pop to right. In the bottom of the sixth, Napoli leads off with a single to right. Alex Rios (acquired from the other Sox at the trading deadline to play LF because of injuries to Nava and Gomes), draws a walk. Blanton is now relived by Burnett. Middlebrooks then chops a weak grounder to third; Callaspo has only one play and he makes it, 5-3. The runners move up to second and third, with one out. Now, Scioscia obviously has a lot of confidence in his offense and is also trying to avoid a big inning. Saltalamacchia grounds out to Aybar at short, who is not playing in, and the tying run scores. 5-5 going into the 7th, Aceves gets through the top of the seventh, but only with the help of his defense. Leadoff man Aybar beats out a bunt for a single, but is thrown out stealing by Saltalamacchia. Then with one out, Trout raps a sngle up the middle, then steals second. Pujols then hits a hard grounder just to the right of the second base bag. Pedroia dives, makes the stab, and throws out Pujos by a step at first. What a game-saving play by Pedroia! In the bottom of the seventh, Scioscia sends out Scott Downs, LHP to face the top of the Red Sox order. He dispences quickly of Ellsbury and Pedroia (who has been in a slump all postseason--thank God he hasn't taken it to the field). Victorino, batting third because of Dustin's struggles at the plate, hits a hard liner to the Monster in leftcenter for his third straight hit. He doesn't hesitate and hustles into second with a sliding double. Now, Dear Reader, I don't claim to be a mystic or have psychic powers, but I knew what was going to happen next. I said to myself (nobody else up in the whole house) that if Downs comes anywhere near middle-in, Big Papi, the Red Sox next batter, is going to kill it. He was hitless in three at bats (reached on an E6, retired on a comebacker and grounded out to first, unassisted). Downs first pitch was a fastball, high and away. It seems that Downs was listening to my suggestion. Keep it way away. But what do I know. I am not the major leaguer. So Downs, trying to even the count, throws a fastball over the middle of the plate. Ortiz swings and THERE IT GOES. HIGH AND DEEP OVER THE RIGHT-FIELD BULLPEN! ORTIZ HAS GIVEN THE RED SOX A 7-5 LEAD WITH A HOMERUN INTO TED WILLIAMS COUNTRY! I tell you, I knew it was going to happen. If I was managing, I would have thrown Papi nothing but junk away, and if I walked him, so be it. I then would have brought in Frieri, who was ready in the bullpen, to face Napoli. But that's just me. Oh, and how did the inning end? After Big Papi's Big Pop UP, Scioscia replaced Downs with Frieri to face Napoli. Napoli strikes out, swinging. On to the 8th, Red Sox 7. Angels 5.

Mgr Farrell replaces Aceves with Andrew Bailey in the eighth. Bailey has been the hottest pitcher in the Red Sox pen, and Farrell now looks like a genius. Aceves, his 8th inning guy, pitches the 6th and the 7th scoreless and is poised for the win. He now brings in his hottest MR to pitch the 8th and set it up for the closer Hanrahan, who, like Bailey, has not been scored upon in the postseason. Now, I reiterate. This is the game's AI doing all of this. I am just observing and reporting (with the help of a scorecard I keep for every game that I watch). Sorry to sound like I'm advertising, but this MLB The Show 13 is the game, folks. Anyway, Bailey retires the side 1-2-3 in the top of the 8th; Boston threatens, but cannot add on in the bottom, to set up the top of the ninth. Angels trail 7-5.

Hanrahan gives up a leadoff double to Ianetta, then promptly wild-pitches him to third. Not an Ideal beginning. He then walks Callaspo, who is replaced by Bourjos, because the runner on first is the tying run. Hanrahan then runs a 98 MPH fastball onto the hands of Aybar, shatters his bat, then catches the resultant weak pop-up. Now, first and third, one out and Kendrick up. I am thinking that if the Angels somehow pull this one out and advance to the World Series, Kendrick is out of the number 2 slot in the order. He has stunk this whole series and is 0-4, with 2 Ks today. Make that 3 Ks, "as he stood there like a house by the side of the road." Now, the Angels season rests on the shoulders of the AL Batting Champ, Mike Trout. He has awaken from a two-game drought with 2-3, BB. But he also takes strike 3 on a borderline pitch and the Boston Red Sox are the American League Champions! They will await the winner of the St.Louis-Los Angeles Dodgers NLCS that also has gone seven games. Someone let me know if you are interested in World Series Coverage. I'll quickly update the NL and jump into it. Thanks for reading.

[Yankee4Life]

I am very interested in reading about your World Series coverage. Great job!

[oldtimey]

With the real-life World Series and baseball season now over, I would like to know if anyone is interested in an alternate ending. With the St. Louis Cardinals defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games in my 2013 NLDS, I wound up with the same World Series matchup, and with the AL winning the All-Star game, Boston has home-field advantage. Now, this has only happened two other times in my gaming experience, where I wound up with the same championship matchup while playing my season that actually happened in real life. In both of those instances, t also crowned the exact same winner. Back in 1995. while playing that season on Tony LaRussa Baseball 1996, I wound up with the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians in the Series, with Atlanta winning it all. The other time was when I played the 2010-2011 NBA season with NBA Live 2005 and ended with the Dallas Mavericks, behind an unstoppable Dirk Nowitzki, defeating the Miami Heat. I never expect the league I am running to extract the same results as real life, so when it happens, it is a big deal to me. So, what I would like to do is share my Series with you, if there is any interest. I don't have any graphic abilities, so what I plan to do is present each game, with full lineups, play-by-play and commentary, when necessary. As I am writing this, I do not know the final results of my World Series because (teaser alert) my World Series needed all seven games, and Game Seven is tonight. But I keep a scorecard for every game and I will be using them for the recaps. So let me know if you are interested, and, Yankee4Life, please advise if I should start a new thread, with a title announcing this content or should I just continue using this thread. Thanks to all reading. Maybe this will help bridge a gap unitl JoeRudi26 gets our season underway. I have doctor's appointment this morning, so I got to run. I will check the forum later.

Edited October 31, 2013 by oldtimey

[Yankee4Life]

So let me know if you are interested, and, Yankee4Life, please advise if I should start a new thread, with a title announcing this content or should I just continue using this thread.

No way man, keep on posting in here if you want to or if you decide to make a new thread go ahead and do that too. Whatever is most comfortable for you.

And I also had Tony Larussa 1996. I really enjoyed that game because you had the ability to import and export stadiums from Old Time Baseball. I really wish I could play this today.

[oldtimey]

No way man, keep on posting in here if you want to or if you decide to make a new thread go ahead and do that too. Whatever is most comfortable for you.

And I also had Tony Larussa 1996. I really enjoyed that game because you had the ability to import and export stadiums from Old Time Baseball. I really wish I could play this today.

Yes, the LaRussa/Old Time series was one of the best. My favorite feature was the ability to choose from 3 annoouncers in TLBB '96 and two in OTB. That is the next feature that would picque my interest in a "next gen" baseball title--the ability to not only choose your play-by-play man, but to mix and match announcing teams. i am hoping this is the future of baseball sims!

Please look for my version of the 2013 World Series in the thread "The 2013 World Series--An Alternative Ending...or not."

Edited October 31, 2013 by oldtimey